Britain will ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from the mobile phones of ministers and civil servants, bringing the UK in line with the US and the European Commission and reflecting deteriorating relations with Beijing.
The decision marks a sharp reversal from the UK’s previous position and came just hours after TikTok said Washington had told its owner, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a possible ban in the country.
The UK government announcement was made on Thursday by Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office minister, in the House of Commons. He said the ban was taking place “with immediate effect”.
The decision follows a review of TikTok by government cybersecurity experts at the National Center for Cyber Security, and will cover the work phones of ministers and civil servants, but not their personal phones. “This is a proportionate move based on a specific risk with the government devices,” Dowden added.
At least two cabinet ministers use TikTok. Michelle Donelan, the secretary for science and technology, and Grant Shapps, the secretary for energy security and net zero have an account on the app, which is used by millions of young people and many celebrities and influencers.
The decision marks a sea change from the UK’s previously relaxed position, bringing the UK in line with the US government. TikTok has deteriorated in recent months.
The government said TikTok required users to give permission for the app to access data stored on the device, which the company then collects and stores. Allowing such permissions gives the business access to a variety of data, including contacts, user content, and geolocation data. Dowden said this justified the ban.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company was disappointed with the decision. “We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and are driven by broader geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of UK users play no role. We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns.”
The company said it had begun work on “a comprehensive plan” to protect European user data, including storing UK user data in its European data centers and independent monitoring of its approach by from third parties. TikTok has acknowledged that personal data from the UK goes abroad, including to China, for its global staff to carry out certain “important functions”.
